Container cover with sealable arrangement and its method thereof

Abstract

A container cover for sealing a container body includes a cover panel detachably coupling with an opening of the container body to enclose a receiving cavity thereof, and a sealable arrangement which includes a sealing element movably supported underneath the cover panel, and an actuation unit operatively mounted on top of the cover panel to move the sealing element between an unsealed and sealed position. At the unsealed position, the cover panel is free to detachably support at the opening, and at the sealed position, the sealing element is radially and outwardly moved to seal at and bias against the opening edge of the container body so as to seal the receiving cavity in an air-tight manner and to retain the cover panel in position.

1 . A container, comprising:
 a container body having a receiving cavity, and an opening defining around an opening edge; and   a container cover, which comprises:   a cover panel detachably coupling with said opening of said container body to enclose said receiving cavity thereof; and   a sealable arrangement which comprises:   a sealing element movably supported underneath said cover panel, wherein said sealing element has a size smaller than a size of said opening edge of said container body such that when said cover panel couples at said opening of said container body, said sealing element is encircled within said opening edge of said container body; and   an actuation unit operatively mounted on top of said cover panel to move said sealing element between an unsealed position and a sealed position, wherein at said unsealed position, said cover panel is free to detachably support at said opening of said container body, and at said sealed position, said sealing element is radially and outwardly moved to seal at and bias against said opening edge of said container body so as to seal said receiving cavity in an air-tight manner and to retain said cover panel in position.   
     
     
         2 . The container, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said sealing element, having a ring shape, has a size-adjustable diameter that when said sealing element is moved at said unsealed position, said size-adjustable diameter is smaller than a diameter of said opening of said container body, and when said sealing element is moved at said sealed position, said size-adjustable diameter is larger than said diameter of said opening of said container body. 
     
     
         3 . The container, as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said sealing element is made of deformable material that said sealing element is enabled to be squeezed to increase said size-adjustable diameter. 
     
     
         4 . The container, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said sealing element has an upper edge, a lower edge, and a sloped surface upwardly and outwardly extended from said lower edge to said upper edge, such that when said lower edge of said sealing element is pressed upwardly, said upper edge of said sealing element is radially and outwardly pushed to seal at and bias against said opening edge of said container body. 
     
     
         5 . The container, as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said sealing element has an upper edge, a lower edge, and a sloped surface upwardly and outwardly extended from said lower edge to said upper edge, such that when said lower edge of said sealing element is pressed upwardly, said upper edge of said sealing element is radially and outwardly pushed to seal at and bias against said opening edge of said container body. 
     
     
         6 . The container, as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said sealing element has an upper edge, a lower edge, and a sloped surface upwardly and outwardly extended from said lower edge to said upper edge, such that when said lower edge of said sealing element is pressed upwardly, said upper edge of said sealing element is radially and outwardly pushed to seal at and bias against said opening edge of said container body. 
     
     
         7 . The container, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said actuation unit comprises a pressing panel supported underneath said sealing element and a hand-operated member coupling on said cover panel and arranged to lift up said pressing panel for compressing said sealing element between said pressing panel and said cover panel so as to move said sealing element at said sealed position, and to drop down said pressing panel for uncompressing said sealing element so as to move said sealing element at said unsealed position. 
     
     
         8 . The container, as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said actuation unit comprises a pressing panel supported underneath said sealing element and a hand-operated member coupling on said cover panel and arranged to lift up said pressing panel for compressing said sealing element between said pressing panel and said cover panel so as to move said sealing element at said sealed position, and to drop down said pressing panel for uncompressing said sealing element so as to move said sealing element at said unsealed position. 
     
     
         9 . The container, as recited in  claim 6 , wherein said actuation unit comprises a pressing panel supported underneath said sealing element and a hand-operated member coupling on said cover panel and arranged to lift up said pressing panel for compressing said sealing element between said pressing panel and said cover panel so as to move said sealing element at said sealed position, and to drop down said pressing panel for uncompressing said sealing element so as to move said sealing element at said unsealed position. 
     
     
         10 . The container, as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said upper edge of said sealing element is biased against a bottom side of said cover panel while said lower edge of said sealing element is affixed to a top side of said pressing panel such that when said pressing panel is lifted up, said upper edge of said sealing element is radially and outwardly extended to increase said size-adjustable diameter of said sealing element. 
     
     
         11 . The container, as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said hand-operated member comprises an actuation shaft upwardly, coaxially, and integrally extended from said pressing panel through said cover panel, and a pivot handle pivotally coupled with said actuation shaft at a position on top of said cover panel, in such a manner that when said pivot handle is pivotally moved to lay on said cover panel, said pressing panel is lifted up to reduce a distance between said cover panel and said pressing panel. 
     
     
         12 . The container, as recited in  claim 8 , wherein said hand-operated member comprises an actuation shaft upwardly, coaxially, and integrally extended from said pressing panel through said cover panel, and a pivot handle pivotally coupled with said actuation shaft at a position on top of said cover panel, in such a manner that when said pivot handle is pivotally moved to lay on said cover panel, said pressing panel is lifted up to reduce a distance between said cover panel and said pressing panel. 
     
     
         13 . The container, as recited in  claim 10 , wherein said hand-operated member comprises an actuation shaft upwardly, coaxially, and integrally extended from said pressing panel through said cover panel, and a pivot handle pivotally coupled with said actuation shaft at a position on top of said cover panel, in such a manner that when said pivot handle is pivotally moved to lay on said cover panel, said pressing panel is lifted up to reduce a distance between said cover panel and said pressing panel. 
     
     
         14 . A method of air-sealing a container body with a container cover by a sealable arrangement, comprising the steps of:
 (a) disposing said container cover at said container body at a position that a cover panel of said container cover is freely supported at an opening of said container body to enclose a receiving cavity thereof while a sealing element of said sealable arrangement is encircled within an opening edge of said container body; and   (b) actuating said sealing element to move between an unsealed position and a sealed position, wherein at said unsealed position, said cover panel is free to detachably support at said opening of said container body, and at said sealed position, said sealing element is radially and outwardly moved to seal at and bias against said opening edge of said container body so as to seal said receiving cavity in an air-tight manner and to retain said cover panel in position.   
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 14  wherein, in the step (b), said sealing element is moved between said unsealed position and said sealed position by adjusting a size-adjustable diameter of said sealing element such that at said unsealed position, said size-adjustable diameter of said sealing element is smaller than a diameter of said opening of said container body, and at said sealed position, said size-adjustable diameter of said sealing element is larger than said diameter of said opening of said container body. 
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in claim in  claim 15  wherein, in the step (b), said sealing element is made of deformable material that said sealing element is enabled to be squeezed to increase said size-adjustable diameter. 
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in claim in  claim 16  wherein, in the step (b), said sealing element has an upper edge, a lower edge, and a sloped surface upwardly and outwardly extended from said lower edge to said upper edge, such that when said lower edge of said sealing element is pressed upwardly, said upper edge of said sealing element is radially and outwardly pushed to increase said size-adjustable diameter so as to seal at and bias against said opening edge of said container body. 
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in claim in  claim 17  wherein, in the step (b), said sealing element has an upper edge, a lower edge, and a sloped surface upwardly and outwardly extended from said lower edge to said upper edge, such that when said lower edge of said sealing element is pressed upwardly, said upper edge of said sealing element is radially and outwardly pushed to increase said size-adjustable diameter so as to seal at and bias against said opening edge of said container body. 
     
     
         19 . The method, as recited in claim in  claim 16 , wherein the step (b) further comprises the steps of:
 (b.1) supporting a pressing panel of said sealable arrangement underneath said sealing element;   (b.2) actuating a hand-operated member on top of said cover panel to lift up said pressing panel for compressing said sealing element between said pressing panel and said cover panel so as to move said sealing element at said sealed position; and   (b.3) actuating said hand-operated member to drop down said pressing panel for uncompressing said sealing element so as to move said sealing element at said unsealed position, such that said cover panel of said container cover is free to remove from said container body.   
     
     
         20 . The method, as recited in claim in  claim 18 , wherein the step (b) further comprises the steps of:
 (b.1) supporting a pressing panel of said sealable arrangement underneath said sealing element;   (b.2) actuating a hand-operated member on top of said cover panel to lift up said pressing panel for compressing said sealing element between said pressing panel and said cover panel so as to move said sealing element at said sealed position; and   (b.3) actuating said hand-operated member to drop down said pressing panel for uncompressing said sealing element so as to move said sealing element at said unsealed position, such that said cover panel of said container cover is free to remove from said container body.   
     
     
         21 . The method, as recited in  claim 19 , wherein said upper edge of said sealing element is biased against a bottom side of said cover panel while said lower edge of said sealing element is affixed to a top side of said pressing panel such that when said pressing panel is lifted up, said upper edge of said sealing element is radially and outwardly extended to increase said size-adjustable diameter of said sealing element. 
     
     
         22 . The method, as recited in  claim 20 , wherein a pivot handle of said hand-operated member is pivotally coupled with said pressing panel that when said pivot handle is pivotally moved to lay on said cover panel, said pressing panel is lifted up to reduce a distance between said cover panel and said pressing panel, and when said pivot handle is pivotally moved away from said cover panel, said pressing panel is dropped down to increase said distance between said cover panel and said pressing panel. 
     
     
         23 . The method, as recited in  claim 21 , wherein a pivot handle of said hand-operated member is pivotally coupled with said pressing panel that when said pivot handle is pivotally moved to lay on said cover panel, said pressing panel is lifted up to reduce a distance between said cover panel and said pressing panel, and when said pivot handle is pivotally moved away from said cover panel, said pressing panel is dropped down to increase said distance between said cover panel and said pressing panel.